Model Accreditation

Following the nationwide standard, the University of Cologne regularly subjects its Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes to an assessment and quality check by an external accreditation agency. In order to further optimize the quality of teaching and study conditions for its students, the University of Cologne has opted for a re-accreditation procedure based on programme accreditation, but which goes beyond it. With the development of a joint cross-Faculty study model, an agreement process was set in motion on overarching aspects of the organization and structure as well as the quality assurance of degree programmes. The new study model ensures the harmonization of interdisciplinary and cross-Faculty study and examination structures and sets uniform standards in the areas of internationalization and mobility, diversity and equal opportunities, counselling and support as well as study evaluation.

This created the preconditions for optimizing study conditions on the one hand, but at the same time for bringing out the strengths of the UoC even more clearly – the development of interdisciplinary potential, the internationalization of studies, an internal differentiation of large degree programmes and the individualization of degree programmes.

The new study model applies to all Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes at the University of Cologne, including teacher training and joint degree programmes. Excluded are all degree programmes of the Faculty of Law as well as the programmes leading to the state examination degree at the Faculty of Medicine.

Since the winter semester 2015/2016, all first semester students are automatically enrolled in the model-accredited degree programmes.